Breast pads sometimes contain a multilayered design, including a non-permeable layer for preventing transfer of breast milk from the liner to clothing, an absorbent layer for holding the milk within the liner, and a wicking layer to draw the liquid away from the breast and into the absorbing layer. A non-permeable layer may also be disposed about the outer periphery of the liner so that a reservoir is formed between the outer surface non-permeable layer and the layer on the periphery for retaining excess milk. An adhesive may be applied to the outer portion of the liner to hold the liner in place in a bra cup. An adhesive may also be used to hold the liner to the breast.
Nursing mothers frequently experience pain and chafing on and around the nipple. Lanolin, also known as wool fat and wool wax, is known to reduce such discomfort. Lanolin is a natural wool grease and originates as a unique substance secreted by sheep from special sebaceous glands in their skin so as to form a natural protective coating on the wool fibers. This unique substance, although derived from an animal, is completely different to the body fat of animals. It has the physical consistency of a soft grease and can also be identified as a wax. The removal of crude wax from the wool by various washing processes and recovery by centrifugal separators gives a product called neutral wool grease, which after intensive refining and a series of other processes, yields a finished purified lanolin. This purified lanolin can reduce a nursing mother""s discomfort without affecting a nursing child.
It has been suggested that lanolin, or other medicament, be applied to a breast pad before use. See, for example, U.S. Pat. No. 6,074,272 issued to Hebert.
Lanolin and some other wax-like medicaments, while very soothing, can impede proper breast pad function, as the medicament can reduce permeability of the inner layer. The invention generally features lanolin or other medicament distributed on a breast pad in improved arrangements that can sooth while enabling good absorption.
According to one aspect, there is a multi-layered breast pad with a non-permeable layer for preventing transfer of breast milk from the liner to clothing, an absorbing layer for holding the milk within the liner and a wicking layer to draw the liquid away from the breast and into the absorbing layer. The exposed surface of the inner layer of the breast pad features a region of lanolin and a lanolin-free region. The lanolin region may enable soothing, while the lanolin-free region enables good absorption.
Preferably, the breast pad includes about 0.03 and 0.15 grams of lanolin, with the lanolin-free region comprising between about 30 and 50 percent of a total exposed surface area of the inner liner. The lanolin may be impregnated into the inner liner, for example. Preferably, the lanolin is in substantially pure form. The lanolin may also be in the form of a coating on the exposed surface of the inner liner or in the form of a dispersion on the exposed surface of the inner liner.
In some embodiments, the limited region of lanolin includes a central portion of the breast pad. The lanolin may be distributed uniformly within the central portion, surrounded by the lanolin-free region. In some cases, the central portion includes both lanolin and lanolin-free areas. Preferably, the lanolin-free region includes a band surrounding the central portion and having a width of at least about 15 millimeters.
In some embodiments, the absorbent layer and wicking layer are of the same material. Various examples include lanolin arranged in selected patterns, including: a concentric ring pattern, discrete channels, or a spiral pattern.
The breast pad may also be provided with an adhesive means (e.g., a pressure sensitive adhesive patch) on a portion of the impermeable outer layer for affixing the pad to clothing.
In another aspect, there is a core containing absorbent material and a liquid impermeable cover disposed on an outer side of the core. An inner surface of the core may contain a wax-like medicament in a limited region, so that the inner surface allows for permeability through a remaining medicament-free region. The wax-like medicament may comprise lanolin.
Another aspect includes an inner surface for contacting a mammary gland with a first region having a wax-like medicament and a second region that is free of wax-like medicaments and permeable to fluids.
In an additional aspect, there is a method of absorbing mammary fluids while soothing skin that includes placing the breast pad on a human mammary gland such that the first region contacts at least a portion of an areola of the mammary gland.